Ask Your Child To Be Responsible For Reducing Phone Use
When kids spend an excessive amount of time on their phones, they miss out on more valuable activities. It’s important for middle schoolers to be responsible for how they spend their time. To reduce recreational screen use, encourage your child to:
1. Spend one day tracking how much time is spent looking at the phone.
2. Reduce that time the next day. Help your child come up with ideas like turning off notifications or only checking the phone at certain times.
3. Set screen-free times when all devices should be put away—such as during family meals, study time and bedtime.
When middle schoolers learn to manage their time better, they are often amazed by how much more they can get done in a day!
Reprinted with permission from Parents Still make the difference!® newsletter. Copyright © 2025 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens, 2021, Common Sense Media Inc.